Biggleswade Health Centre failed application - S106 agreement would have been required for £364,000



A number of additional documents, in fact hundreds, have now been added to the Central Bedfordshire Council planning web site, relating to the application CB/10/00518, which was refused.

A number of these documents relate to a travel plan. A number of highway organisations, said at the time that the travel plan submitted was deficient in a number of areas. 

The travel plan included a statement on existing public transport facilities:

"Public transport services in the vicinity of the site are currently good, with six bus services calling either on Saxon Drive or London Road. These bus services are summarised in Table below.

Existing bus services in the vicinity of the site:

Service 185 - Biggleswade Bus Station, Holme Court Avenue, Saxon Drive, Chambers Way, Biggleswade Bus Station - Mondays to Saturdays, hourly service.

Service E4 - Biggleswade Bus Station, Saxon Gate, Dunton, Biggleswade Bus Station - Mondays to Saturdays, hourly service.

Service M3 - Bedford Bus Station, Moggerhanger, Sandy, Biggleswade Bus Station - Mondays to Saturdays, hourly service.

Service M4 - Bedford Bus Station, Cardington, Cople, Ickwell, Holme Court Avenue - Mondays to Saturdays, hourly service.

The Table illustrates that the site is served by four bus routes, which provide for journeys from a variety of residential areas within Biggleswade, as well as a number of surrounding towns and villages.

The closest bus stops to the site are located on Saxon Drive adjacent to Saxon Drive / Foxglove Drive / Site access roundabout and on London Road in close proximity to the London Road / Chambers Way and London Road / Holme Court Avenue junctions."

The comments from the Highways Authorities were:

"It is stated that public transport services in the vicinity of the site are currently good with four services calling in close proximity to the proposed site. However services E4, M3 and M4 run at 500-600 metres from the site hence in excess of the 400m that is recognised as reasonable walking distance to catch a bus, hence not easy accessible to the development users. So I would not say that public transport is good as there is only one bus service that runs within the acceptable walking distance from the site. In addition there is no pedestrian link from the bus stop to the site.

Current public transport provision direct to the proposed new health centre in Saxon Drive is limited to Route 185. This service operates every hour between 10.00 and 17.00 (approximately), Mondays to Saturdays from Biggleswade Town Centre.

Two buses per hour from Biggleswade Bus Station between 0800 and 2000, Mondays to Fridays and 1800 on Saturdays should be viewed as a minimum. Consideration should be given to linking northern side of town to Saxon Drive (i.e. a cross town service).

Consideration should also be given to extending Stagecoach M4 service between 0800 and 1800 (Mondays to Saturdays) to the new health centre, providing a direct service from Upper Caldecote, Ickwell and Northill.

It is therefore required a financial contribution towards bus services enhancements / provision of £364,000 as follows:

Enhancement of town services for a period of two years of £250,000 (£125,000 per year)

Extension of Stagecoach M4 ; £80,000 (cost for a year service)

Improvements to bus stops in Saxon Drive: £30,000

Enhanced public transport information: £4.000.

As the applicant, Biggleswade Town Council would have to sign up to an S106 agreement for  £364,000 as part of any planning approval.